MAYOR BOWSER

It is lovely to be here at the University of the District of Columbia with all of you
tonight for my fourth State of the District address.

Thank you, Ms. Thompson, for that wonderful introduction.

Three weeks ago, when Kooper was just one day old, we recognized him and his
family for helping Washington, DC become 700,000 residents strong.

We haven’t had 700,000 Washingtonians since around the year I was born – which
I know you might think was just yesterday, but it was actually quite some time ago.

And to meet Kooper, and to chat with his mom and dad, I was reminded of a
simple truth:

Washingtonians across the city want very similar things.

 We all want safe neighborhoods for our families, with schools and child care
centers that will set our children and teens up for success.
 We want housing that is safe and affordable.
 And we want jobs that allow us to take care of ourselves and our families,
with wages that allow us to enjoy life and give back.

From Ward 1 to Ward 8, we share these hopes and dreams.

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And something else we share: In every corner of our city, people are proud to be
Washingtonians.

And it’s no wonder why:

 Our neighborhoods are strong;
 We’ve come a long way since our Control Board days and the District’s
finances are in the best shape they’ve ever been;
 And from sports and entertainment to restaurants and playgrounds – we are a
city that has something for everyone.

We have accomplished a great deal together, and we have a great deal to be proud
of…

So, tonight, with great pride, I stand here this evening, with Washingtonians who
have helped get our city to where it is today, to announce that the state of the
District is strong.

[BIG IDEAS]

In fact, the District is doing so well that I am the envy of mayors across the U.S.

But I know, and all of you know, that we have worked hard for what we have.

That’s why as we stay focused on the day-to-day – the trash pickup, the rat
abatement, the pothole repairs…we’re also focused on exploring the big ideas that
will keep Washington, DC moving forward and at the forefront of innovation and
change.

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Along with the Mayor of Metro, Jack Evans, we’re going all-in and fully funding
Metro at $178 million – the amount the District needs to contribute to finally solve
the dedicated revenue problem that has held the system back for years and years.

But we’re also going to continue working with Councilmember Cheh on big ideas
like autonomous vehicles and even bigger ideas like the Hyperloop.

We’re doubling down on workforce development and apprenticeship programs that
train residents for the jobs available in DC right now.

But we’re also going to stay focused on attracting fast-growing, innovative
companies like Fiscal Note and Yelp that will provide good-paying jobs for years
to come.

We’re doing all this because we don’t take our growth and prosperity for
granted…and because we want the Washington, DC that Kooper lives in decades
from now to be even more successful than the Washington, DC he lives in today.

[GUNS]

Of course, for all of our city’s growth and prosperity, we still have our challenges.

Some of our challenges are similar to those faced by cities across the country…

Other challenges – like our lack of representation in Congress or the fact that
sometimes we are asked to host an over-the-top and unnecessary military parade –
are unique to our city.

And, in a way, that has made us stronger, too.

So, when the Congress and White House have tested our values – which they do
often – we have repeatedly stood up for our DC values with Chairman Mendelson,
Attorney General Karl Racine and residents in all eight wards.

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Soon we will join Americans from across the country – led by a group of
courageous teenagers from Parkland, Florida – who are coming to DC to say
enough is enough.

For too long, gun violence has wreaked havoc on communities across our
nation…and so-called leaders in Congress have accepted the status quo as the only
way forward…many have blamed victims and accused entire neighborhoods of
just not caring enough.

And all along, those with the power to make a change have falsely believed that
sending condolences or pointing fingers is the same as taking action.

But now we are demanding action…

 Action for Vivian Marrow, a grandma and beloved neighbor who was shot
and killed in her wheelchair just last year;
 Action for Stephen Slaughter, who was shot and killed in January at just 14
years old;
 And action for every member of our community who has been affected by
gun violence.

A few weeks ago, I introduced legislation that will ban the sale and possession of
bump stocks in Washington, DC.

And last week, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton and I called out Senator
Marco Rubio for continuing to push legislation in Congress that would gut our
local gun laws by legalizing assault weapons and high-capacity magazines and
even allowing guns in our schools.

It is bad enough that Senator Rubio is the worst example of saying one thing to his
constituents at home and doing another thing here in Washington.

What makes this legislation particularly egregious is that he continues to move it
forward even as he calls for more sensible gun control nationwide.

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That, my friends, is hypocrisy in action. And that, my friends, is what it looks like
when you legislate without values.

How can you be for legalizing assault weapons and lowering the age to buy guns in
DC and be for school safety in Florida?

With our partner on a Safer, Stronger DC, Charles Allen, our message to Senator
Rubio couldn’t be more clear: Leave us alone and take your hands off DC.

[FEDERAL ASKS]

This is not the only way we will stand with and stand up for our young people and
their families.

President Trump has eliminated funding for the DC Tuition Assistance Grant in his
proposed budget.

So we are calling on Congress to fully fund this program that has already given
more than 26,000 young people the opportunity to pursue their dreams and attend
college.

For many DC students and families, DCTAG has meant the difference between the
end of the road and a new, extraordinary opportunity.

And if the federal government can spend $30 million on a military parade, we can
certainly spend $40 million on sending young Americans to college.

We call on Congress and the President to end the incessant attempts to repeal and
dismantle the Affordable Care Act.

Americans need solutions on health care, and just fighting something doesn’t make
it better.

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But we’re not just waiting for on Congress to act…locally, we are taking our own
steps to ensure Washingtonians have insurance by establishing a local DC
Individual Responsibility Requirement.

Just as we did when I signed the Mayor’s order recommitting the District to the
goals of the Paris Climate Accord, with this mandate, we will protect the legacy of
President Obama and the health of DC residents.

And we call on Congress and the President to find a safe path forward for the
thousands of long-term residents who have legally lived, worked, and built their
lives in the U.S. under TPS.

I said four years ago that I wanted to get local DC back on the international map.

I never imagined back then that this work would involve defending our country’s
reputation abroad and reminding foreign leaders that we are more than our
President.

But here we are.

So, in July, I will travel to El Salvador to begin a Sister City relationship with San
Salvador. As President Trump builds walls, we will continue to strengthen
relationships.

[CHILD CARE]

But regardless of what the federal government decides to do or not do, what I can
promise you is that in Washington, DC, we will continue building a city that works
for everyone.

We’re taking care of our growing families and young children by putting more
money in the budget – an additional $12.5 million to be exact – to create more
high-quality childcare options for parents.

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This includes a $10 million increase for the rates we pay childcare providers to
ensure they stay open and create new seats for infants and toddlers.

We also know that childcare is expensive. So in my upcoming budget, I am
creating a new refundable tax credit to help lower the costs of childcare in DC.

If you don’t already receive a childcare subsidy from us, we’ll provide a $1,000
refundable tax credit, per child, for parents who enroll their children in one of our
licensed childcare facilities.

[SENIORS]

And Councilmember Todd is always reminding me: We’ve gotta take of our
seniors.

For those seniors who already qualify for our property tax rate reduction, we are
going to go one step further and make sure your property taxes don’t grow more
than 5% per year.

The District is getting more expensive, especially for those on fixed incomes. This
is an important step in ensuring that longtime homeowners can age with dignity in
their homes. I hope, too, that it is one small way we acknowledge the investment
they have made in creating the place we all love to call home.

Aging well means living well, and we’re committed to making sure
Washingtonians age well.

[HEALTH]

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We also know that for people of every age, living well means staying healthy.

So, this year, we will announce a partnership to build a new hospital on the St.
Elizabeths campus…a partnership that will, once and for all, create a self-
sustaining, state-of-the-art health facility that will provide residents with a hospital
they can be proud of and the level of care they deserve. Councilmember Gray and I
won’t accept anything less.

I will also introduce legislation that will help ensure every pregnant woman in
Washington, DC receives patient-centered, high-quality prenatal care and every
newborn receives high-quality neonatal care.

The legislation, we call it the BABIES Bill, will allow us to:

 invest in programs that reduce the number of babies who are born too soon;
 set up measures to track prenatal care and newborn health outcomes at each
of the District's birthing centers;
 form a single advisory body of experts, tasked with informing how we care
for moms and babies in Washington, DC;
 and make sure all DC Government buildings are baby-friendly for our
employees and visitors alike.

These efforts, coupled with the Council’s legislation to address maternal mortality,
are moving us in the right direction and helping us build a safer, stronger DC.

[PUBLIC SAFETY]

And make no mistake – Washington, DC is getting safer.

Our streets are safer than ever…crime is at record lows, with violent crime down
26 percent since 2014.

But still – any homicide is one homicide too many and families continue to be
affected by violence, so there is more work to do.

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By taking a smart, holistic approach to public safety – we will build on our
progress.

By expanding our MPD cadet program from 70 cadets to 100, we will bolster our
community policing efforts…and we will ensure that DC residents get MPD jobs.

The cadet program helps high school graduates become MPD recruits by coming
right here to UDC on a full scholarship while also working for MPD.

It allows us to recruit and retain high-quality officers that already know DC and are
invested in bettering the neighborhoods they come from and live in.

But no matter how talented our officers are, public safety is about more than just
policing.

We know that, often times, violence has roots in trauma, addiction, and access to
opportunity.

So my administration is finding solutions to violence in tools that we used to
reserve for public health.

In October, we opened the new Safer Stronger DC Office of Neighborhood Safety
and Engagement – an outgrowth of Kenyan McDuffie’s NEAR Act.

Through this office, we are

 engaging directly with residents who are caught up in violence,
 and meeting them wherever they are, whether in their homes or on the
streets, whether at night or on the weekend, and whether they feel on the
cusp of changing their life or feel miles away from a new start.

This team uses restorative justice principles to diffuse tensions and redirect
violence before it ends in tragedy.

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In my upcoming budget we will expand the office’s reach by funding partnerships
with community-based non-profits that know our neighborhoods and know how
violence in our neighborhoods can be prevented.

And in just a few weeks, we will launch a partnership between our Metropolitan
Police Department and our Department of Behavioral Health.

When police are called to respond to someone experiencing a mental health crisis,
they will be able to respond with a mental health clinician.

Through this program, individuals in crisis will be treated and diverted, rather than
arrested and detained.

This is what public safety in 2018 should look like.

And we are proud to be at forefront of expanding how big cities think about and
invest in keeping residents safe.

[HOMELESSNESS]

And it is not just public safety where we are leading the way on smarter solutions
and more inclusive policies…we are also leading through our efforts to end
chronic homelessness.

I ran for Mayor in 2014, the same year our city faced immeasurable tragedy in the
disappearance of young Relisha Rudd.

There are many unanswered questions about what happened to Relisha, but one
thing we know for sure is that, today, she should still be here in DC doing all the
things young girls do as they get ready to become teenagers.

But she is not, because the system failed Relisha and we must never fail a child
like that again.

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So, coming into office, I promised we would close DC General and replace it with
smaller, dignified programs throughout all eight wards that do more to support our
most vulnerable families.

This year, we will make good on that commitment – DC General will close
forever.

And I know some folks think we’re moving too quickly, or that we’re only trying
to free up land.

But let me say this: When it comes to closing DC General, we cannot move fast
enough. That shelter is an embarrassment to our city, and I will not be the mayor
who passed up an opportunity to demolish it. That has been my plan since Day
One and it is my plan still.

Our plan to make homelessness rare, brief, and nonrecurring is working.

Over the past three years have:

 prevented a shelter stay for more than 5,000 families;
 increased investments in permanent supportive housing programs by nearly
60 percent;
 and connected more than 3,900 single adults to permanent supportive
housing, including more than 1,670 Veterans.

This is good progress, but Councilmember Nadeau will tell you that until we can
announce that our city has ended chronic homelessness – there is more work to do.

[AFFORDABLE HOUSING]

And at the end of the day, we know that the best way to solve homelessness is by
building and preserving affordable housing.

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This year alone, we allocated $1 billion – I repeat, $1 billion – to programs and
efforts that will make living in the District more affordable for everyone.

From turning vacant properties into workforce housing to providing property tax
relief that will allow more of our seniors to age in place…we are laser-focused on
housing.

Since 2015, we have delivered more than 5,300 units of affordable housing…and
over the next five years we plan to deliver at least another 10,000.

In the coming weeks, you will learn more about Roots to Roofs DC, a follow up to
my African American prosperity initiatives and a renewed effort to connect
residents new and old to the many housing programs we have available.

The idea behind this initiative is simple: As Washington, DC grows, we’re going to
make room for everyone, especially our residents who put down roots long ago.

Councilmember Bonds has been a true champion of these efforts; thank you, Anita,
for your leadership.

Of course, we know that in a hot city like ours – one that encompasses a mere 68
square miles – solving the affordable housing challenge will require more thinking
outside the box and more working together as a community…

While we continue to make unprecedented investments and design stronger
policies…DC is going to continue to grow, so there is more work to do.

[JOBS]

When we talk about housing, we also must talk about jobs.

Because, for most people, there is no one pathway to the middle class… there are
many things that have to come together, and they must come together at the right
time.

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It’s not jobs or housing – it’s jobs and housing.

So we’re making sure Washingtonians have the skills and knowledge they need to
fill the jobs our city’s growth is creating.

We are doing this through programs creating like LEAP, Career Connections, and
ASPIRE.

We’re also improving Project Empowerment so it does a better job of giving our
residents a second chance…Because as Robert White will tell you, DC is a city of
second chances.

And, as of this week, we are doing it through the new DC Infrastructure Academy.

Coming into office, I said we would launch a Public Works Academy in DC to
prepare residents for jobs in infrastructure, one of the fastest growing industries in
the nation. In Washington, DC, the average wage of someone working in
infrastructure is nearly $50 an hour or about $100,000 a year.

Unfortunately, what we saw in the past was that half of these jobs were going
unfilled...

So we moved forward with our plan to create a dedicated training facility to put
DC residents in DC jobs. This week, we cut the ribbon on the DC Infrastructure
Academy in Ward 8.

The DC Infrastructure Academy is a pathway to the middle class…an opportunity
to not just get a job, but to build a career. Because that’s what we want for
Washingtonians – not just odd jobs, but sustainable careers.

Thank you for being there with me, Trayon and Elissa.

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We’re on the right track, but until every resident has the fair shot they deserve,
there’s more work to do.

[EDUCATION]

And while workforce development is a powerful tool to prepare Washingtonians
for a successful career, we know that the most effective method for building a
strong workforce is by developing a first-class public education system.

In recent months, there have been bumps in the roads—frankly, there have been
some mountains.

But now the band aid has been ripped off, and we understand – better than ever –
the challenges we face.

Ten years ago we weren’t prepared to take on these challenges.

Back then, our city still struggled to open schools on time; our teachers had to
create their own curricula; and students in DC struggled to keep up with their peers
in other big cities.

But, today, things are different.

 National assessments no longer show our students lagging behind their
peers;
 Our teachers have the tools and resources they need to teach;
 We have thoughtful programs in place for supporting and developing
educators at every level;
 Family engagement is a top priority – with hundreds of teachers
participating in home visits every summer;
 And, when you visit classrooms across the city – you see engaged students,
challenging content, and educators who are teaching with the passion and
love that our students need and deserve.

In just the past year, we have:

 launched Thrive by Five and MyChildcareDC;

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 ensured that all of our neighborhood middle schools offer algebra and other
robust programming;
 added a new cohort at the Ron Brown College Preparatory High School;
 launched Reign: Empowering Young Women as Leaders, which we will be
able to expand next school year when DCPS takes over our city’s only all-
girls public school, Excel.

And after five years with no contract, we finally reached an agreement with the
Washington Teachers Union that significantly increases compensation for our
educators.

Councilmember David Grosso will tell you our teachers have one of the most
challenging but important jobs in the city, and this new contract recognizes that.

[PAUSE]

Certainly, none of us are satisfied with where we are now, but because we have
made this progress, we are better positioned to take on the tough challenges we
face today.

I recognize that there is trust that needs to be rebuilt between our school system
and parents, and systems of accountability and oversight that need to be reinforced
and reviewed.

Under the leadership of interim Chancellor Amanda Alexander, we will finish this
school year strong and be ready to start the next one.

And, it’s not just our elementary, middle, and high schools that we’re looking out
for.

As President Mason likes to say, Washington, DC doesn’t have a pre-k3 through
12th grade public education system – we have a pre-k3 through 16 and law school
system.

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In the upcoming budget, we are making our first installment in the University
Equity Imperative, investing an additional $9.5 million in the University of the
District of Columbia to upgrade IT infrastructure and increase and right size
salaries for our faculty and staff.

And just as we have made much-needed investments in our prek-12 buildings, we
are now providing $132 million in capital funds to upgrade the facilities right here
at UDC.

Kooper has only three years until it’s time to enroll in prek3, we were proud to
present him with a full ride to UDC when we met him at the hospital, and we are
committed to ensuring that our schools continue to improve for his family and the
thousands of families who depend on our public schools each year.

[CLOSING]

When I ran for office in 2014, I knew that this job came with great responsibility.

But I ran because I wanted that responsibility. I didn’t run to warm a seat or to
avoid tough decisions. And I ran because I know the spirit of our city.

The spirit of our city is one of:

 fighting for what’s right;
 of looking out for our neighbors;
 of falling down and getting back up – just like our Mayor for Life, Marion
Barry;
 and of calling out injustice when we see it, but never letting it stop us from
achieving our dreams.

And to be able to represent these values, embodied in the people of Washington,
DC…I truly believe I have the best job in the world.

[PAUSE]

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As I look at where Washington, DC stands – at our many successes and the work
that is left to do, I am reminded of what Dr. King told us…

He said that if you can’t fly then you must run. And if you can’t run then you must
walk. And if you can’t walk then you must crawl.

But whatever you do, he said – you must keep moving forward.

I know that there are some days when it feels like we are crawling and others when
we are flying…

But, together, in all we do, we are moving forward.

I want to thank UDC President Ronald Mason for hosting us tonight.

I want to thank the more than 30,000 DC Government employees who take care of
us every single day.

And I want to thank all the Washingtonians who make Washington, DC the
greatest city in the world.

There is no doubt about it – Washington, DC is doing well.

But, together, we are capable of so much more…

So, let’s stay focused and keep moving forward, because if we all stick together,
the best is yet to come.